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AMSA ELA GRADE 7 Syllabus

2009 - 20010

Week

Date

Topic

Significant

Assessments

Test, quizzes, projects, reports

1

Sept 2-4

MONDAY – AUG 31, NO SCHOOL: GRADE 6 ORIENTATION TUES. SEPT 1

Speaking, Listening, Discussing, Contributing

Set Up Portfolio; Process Writing Review

Portfolio as product

2

Sept 8-11  

MONDAY – SEPT 7 LABOR DAY, NO SCHOOL

Process Writing, cont.

ENGLISH ETYMOLOGY:

Historical, cultural and technological influences on English;  ROOTS, SUFFIXES, PREFIXES: Greek, Anglo-Saxon, Latin

Summer Reading Review Sheets due:

Launch point for Spelling:  Personal Spelling List, Most Commonly Misspelled Words, or set up Vocab/Spelling Notebook for vocab/spelling related to literature.

 Launch GRAMMAR *Use Grammar Pacing Guide / Supplement at teacher’s pleasure / discretion: PHWritinig/Grammar, Part II.

Summer Reading Review Sheets

3

Sept 14-18

Process Writing Review and Prep for QUIZ

Any grammar-check-ins, or mini-lessons, as needed; quiz or organic exercises, as needed.

Quiz – 5 stages PW and subcategories of each

4

Sept 21-25        

Structure and Style; Sentences, Paragraphs, Combinations and Transitions:  Continue with Spelling/Vocab as needed

Product examples

5

Sept 28- Oct 2

Narration; Non-Fiction First Person Narrative Essay; high interest-topics selected; personal experience.

Rubric and Expectations within Process Writing construct

Notes on narrative, first person essay: rubric

6

Oct 5-8

OCT 9, PROF DEVELOPMENT DAY: NO SCHOOL

Review First Person Narrative Essay: RUBRIC;

Pre-writing Stage: Check-ins for topic-selection; rubric-checks; planning sheets.  MOVE TOWARD DRAFT STAGE.

Grammar Check-ins, as needed; Spelling / vocab ongoing in concert w/literature as needed.

Check-In for DRAFTS due

7

Oct 13-16

Monday- Columbus Day- no school

First Person Narrative Essay; Check-ins; Revision Stage;

Rough Drafts DUE

8

Oct 19-21

Editing and Proofreading:  *Germane use of PROOFING for spelling, and grammar work, responding to student need

9

Oct 26-30

Final edits and revisions 1^st Person Narrative Essay: LAUNCH DESCRIPTIVE INTRO, if ready: see below.

First-Person  Narrative Essay due

10

Nov

2-6

DESCRIPTIVE EXERCISE

Figurative Language; Sensory Exercises:  Macabre phrases for collaborative themed poem or individual macabre thematic poems; (other poetry concepts at teacher discretion: focus: description, sensory images)

END OF TERM, FRIDAY, NOV. 6

Descriptive or poetic exercises due FRI, at end Term 1.

11

Nov 9-13

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 11:  Veteran’s Day, NO SCHOOL

Exposition: Compare-Contrast:  Elements of, Rubric, Process Writing structure:  Grammar check-ins, as needed: topic, teacher assigned:  related to literature, as needed.

Exposition, compare-contrast notes & rubric

12

Nov 16-20

TUES: NOV 17 AMC 8, GRADES 6, 7, 8

Check-ins for drafting of Expository Compare-Contrast exercise

Work toward ROUGH DRAFT

Rough draft exercise due

13

Nov 23-25

Thursday  and Friday  – Thanksgiving

Proofing/for spelling, grammar, vocab, on compare contrast exercise.

Final Compare-Contrast Exercise due

WEDNESDAY

14

Nov 30-Dec 4

Wednesday, Early Release – PD

Narration, Fiction; The SHORT, Short Story; topic selection strategies; Rubric using Process Writing;

Freytag’s plotline; short story structure, character profiles, dialogue, story crafting.

Pre-writing Stage:  BEGIN OUTLINE OR WRITER’S PLAN: begin early drafting

Notes on Short Story, Freytag’s plotline, characterization: begin OUTLINE or WRITER’S PLAN

15

Dec 7-11

Friday Dec 11 – Professional Development Day – NO SCHOOL

Check-ins using rubric on short story progress.  Draft Stage

Grammar check-ins: exercises or grammar assessments as needed

CHECK IN FOR DRAFT-PROGRESS

16

Dec 14-18

Check-ins for short story progress.  Revision Stage

ROUGH DRAFT DUE

17

Dec 21-23

Check ins for short story progress, Edit/Proofread:  Publish to portfolio

final Short Story EXERCISE due

18

Jan 4-8

RHETORIC AND Persuasion:  understanding rhetoric, written persuasion; rubric; Nestorian Order REVIEW; rubrics through PW; select topics.

Topic for PERSUASIVE ESSAY ASSIGNED

Topic SELECTION; notes on Nestorian Order, Persuasion / Elements of RHETORIC and Rubric

19

Jan 11-14

FRIDAY, JAN 15 – PROFESSIONAL DEV’T: NO SCHOOL

FINAL Topic-Selections approved by teacher; drafts started with check-ins for rubric-targets. 

Check-ins for Draft Progress

20

Jan 18-22

MONDAY, JAN 18, Martin Luther King Day- NO SCHOOL

Check-ins on Persuasive Drafts

Grammar check-ins:

ROUGH DRAFT DUE

21

Jan 25-29

FRIDAY, JAN 29 – END TERM 2

PERSUASIVE WRITING COMPLETE:

Practice delivering as Speech: Review Public Speaking, the Oratory.

AMSA Competition Schedule and Rubric disseminated by department chair

Persuasive Writing submitted: graded for term 2. END TERM 2 FRIDAY 1/29

22

Feb 1-5

Delivery of SPEECHES; BEGIN Elimination Rounds

FINAL Speeches

23

Feb 8-12

TUESDAY, FEB 9: TOP-TIER FINALISTS FROM GRADE 6 AMC-8, PARTICIPATE IN AMC-10  ( 25 TOTAL FROM GRADES 6, 7, 8)

Final Elimination Rounds: Mon-Wed (latest):

Thursday Evening, Feb 11: Fifth Annual AMSA Speech Competition  (DETAILS TBA)

Grammar and spelling check-ins

Finalists deliver speeches 2-11 (Thurs evening, AMSA)

Feb 15-19

Winter Recess. No school entire week

24

Feb 22-26

Response to Literature – Literary Analysis; elements of literature for purpose of analysis and MCAS prep. Teacher may assign same short story and/or poem for all to analyze

25

March 1-5

Review Rubric via Process Writing; Continue work on literary analysis exercise.

GRAMMAR REVIEW; SPELLING REVIEW, review of etymology, roots/prefixes/suffixes, etc. for MCAS

26

March 8-11

Friday March 12 Prof Development: NO SCHOOL

Review student-progress; rough draft, revisions, teacher and peer-review

Ongoing check-ins for Grammar, conventions, mechanics, spelling for MCAS

Literary Analysis due Thurs.  (mini-composition)

27

March 15-19

MCAS Preparation:  short answers-practice; understand the prompt;  understand the TEST and how it is graded;  review practice tests and practice prompts.

PREP FOR FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY: practice converting MULTIPLE prompts into thesis statements until these are second nature. Practice structure with rubrics and graphic organizers.

P-graph 1: Restates prompt as THESIS STATEMENT and leaves out NO element of the prompt/question.

 Rule-of-threes:  Thesis p-graph indicates three details as supporting evidence/proof. 

  Following Thesis / Intro P-Graph, there are 3 body paragraphs in place to explain in detail each of the three thesis-points of evidence.

  Each body paragraph provides three details, examples or explanations:  SEE METHOD: State, extend, elaborate.

  FINAL FIFTH PARAGRAPH restates prompt in a new, elegant way, revisits the proof / evidence, may ‘look forward to the future’ as strong closing.

STRONG OPENING IS MIRRORED BY STRONG CLOSING

Five paragraph essay

28

March 22-26

MCAS PREPARATION ON MONDAY:

May review short answers for reading reading comprehension. Review practice tests as needed. LAST  CALL FOR QUESTIONS AND PRACTICE OR REVIEW OF THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY, MCAS.

MCAS TUES, WED, THUR:  EAT BREAKFAST, HAVE SNACK AND WATER READY, HAVE DEAR BOOK READY.  GO TO BED EARLY.

No homework No homework No homework No homework

 MCAS TUES  3-23 GRADE 7 long composition; 2 sessions

MCAS WED 3-24 GRADE 7 reading comprehension and short answer: 2 sessions

MCAS THURS 3-25

GRADE 7 reading comprehension and short answer: 2 sessions

29

March 29-April 2

Intro Research Writing: purpose (fun topics to know about) elements of: (facts paraphrased from reliable sources, organized, use of source-cards):

Rubric w/Process Writing; format for research paper; discuss strategies for topic selection and available research sources

30

April 5-9

Friday April 9, End Term 3

WED, APR 7:  MCAS ELA MAKE-UP

Final approval of (fun!) topic-selection; approval of sources; check-ins for source cards; draft plans; research check-ins. 

RESEARCH NOTES, PARAPHRASING, AND SOURCE CARDS DUE Friday.

Topic check-ins; TURN IN FOR GRADE RESEARCH NOTES AND SOURCE CARDS: MAY BE ASSIGNED OUTLINE OR WRITING PLAN:  END TERM 3 IS FRI.

31

Apr 12-16

Check-ins in DRAFT stage: use rubric;

Into to paragraph citations, works-cited or bibliography.

Notes on in-line paragraph parenthetical citations and format for bibliography

April 19-23

Spring Recess. No school entire week

32

April – 26-30

Return to RESEARCH: Review of research notes, source cards, source-citation and biblio notes:  RETURN TO WORK IN DRAFT STAGE, RESEARCH PAPER.

Review & Regroup

33

May 3-7

Check-ins for drafting progress:  REVISION STAGE;

Grammar, vocab, spelling check-ins per class need

ROUGH DRAFT DUE, RESEARCH PAPER

34

May

10-14

MON MAY 10: GRADE7 MCAS MATH – 1 SESSION

TUES MAY 11: GRADE 7 MCAS MATH – 1 SESSION

EDITING/PROOFREADING,

PUBLISH/PRESENT/PORTFOLIO:

Research Paper complete. 

FINAL RESEARCH PAPER DUE: submit to  portfolio

35

May

17-21

Media Analysis – Assessing various types of media as consumer and writer.

Select media for student-analysis; discussion and critical review of media: television, internet, print, radio, billboards, etc.

Media Productions:

 Select Your Media:  invent product, create faux news reports, political campaign ad or debate, sports coverage; editorial; radio spot; video, brochure/pamphlet; select teams w/teacher assistance or work individually.

Grammar and Spelling Check-ins

Notes on Media and media analysis;

Media Productions: Presentations to class when feasible and/ or collect products.

36

May

24-28

FRIDAY MAY 28 PROFESSIONAL DEV’T: NO SCHOOL

GRADE 7 TO STONE ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOOL MAY 24-28

37

June 1- 4

Monday – Memorial Day NO SCHOOL

Oral / Dramatic Readings:  (May substitute Poetry Writing Unit for this, and students present their own poems as literature.)  BRIEF:  NOT MORE THAN 3 MINUTES.

Drafting or selecting performance-piece; may read/perform when ready this week.

BEGIN RECITATIONS/READINGS

38

June

7-11

FINISH all Oral Presentations (drama or poetry) –

 STUDY GUIDES FOR ELA FINAL: PREPARE FOR FINAL

Complete Dramatic readings/presentations  – STUDY GUIDE FOR ELA FINAL

39

June 14-18

FINAL ELA REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM

FINAL EXAM, ELA

FRIDAY JUNE 18: END OF TERM 4

TERM 4 ENDS FRI; JUNE 18

FINAL EXAMS